Battered, neglected for many years. But still working without objection: My RB67 equipment

Don't get me wrong. I'm really enjoying the work with digital cameras. A lot of possibilities which one could achieve with film only in a very complicated way - if at all. But sometimes I want to go back to my roots. 30 years ago, when i finished photo college in Vienna, digital photography was something we didn't even dream about. We had to do it the "hard" way. Large format camera, hidding behind the black cloth. Days after days in the darkroom, inhaling all this nice chemicals. Box after box of Ilford Gallery paper gone just to get one exhibition-worth picture… We had a lot of fun… And I would never have expected that i once would see working with my "old" cameras (still have my Nikon F4 and F5, my Sinar, my much-loved Mamyia RB67) as "experimental"…

A "hybrid", so to say. Mamyia RB67 meets Fujifil X-T1...

Yesterday i took my RB67 out of its case for the first time in years. Dusted it of, cleaned it. I did a lot of pictures, mainly landscapes, in the past. And I am pretty sure that I will use it quite often in the future. Depending how easy i can find film material and a labor…

Once upon a time we wanted to emigrate. To Australia. We were not allowed - the parents had not expired secrecy mode. Travel documents were taken back at the Lubyanka and expenses reimbursed and we were kindly asked not to try such a deeds nearest some years, I stay in Russia…

After it was very bad - devastation, defaulted, bread only for coupons (all the pluses of American-style democracy), and we were not able to get Russian citizenship in the best traditions of democracy a la Yeltsin (we are ethnical Russians like all other Russians, born in USSR even on territory of Russian Federation). We decided to leave Russia for Argentina. While we collected documents, passed medical examinations, etc. in Argentina happens Revolution, I stay in Russia…

Next we have carefully thought about retirement in Greece. Found a cheap house there and came to meet with the owner. I made all needed Greek tax identification certificates and agreed about the deal. The day before my child was hospitalized with rotavirus (with me of-course)... So we came back to Moscow with hope to return in month-two and finished, but in Greece happens economical cryses and after my old family crazes, so the idea died.

I stay in Russia…

Most recently, I thought that would not be bad year or two to live in Austria with my husband... I have thought - would be interesting - different culture, opportunity to improve language ... And for him it would be much more useful. In February I went to Austria for a month to start to live there... And what we have at the moment - The Third World War…

As if something is holding me in Russia... In general, I thought and decided - maybe I have such a fate? And looking to craziness of the world blaming Russia and Russians in all the sins may be it is for the best. It seems that I am living in the best place of the world and my Destiny was just care me to noticed it…

Generally speaking, I do not know whether there is a connection but again if I'm staying, may be there would be now end of the crises in USA and they will not have to compete with Russia on the natural resourses market... and will become peace in the world...

7/23/2014

WHEN YOU HIT A WALL, JUST KICK IT IN…

Two weeks ago we where attending the Opening week of Les Rencontres d'Arles again. Quite an expierence. Sometimes a strange one. Ok, everybody has his own taste, I know very well that my work is not at all part of the mainstream, part of what is called "contemporary" (whatever this may mean...). But if there are about 50 exhibitions (we visited not all of them) and you can hardly find two or three you like, well then there must be something wrong. For me this year Arles has moved so much in the direction of "Zeitgeist" that there not much left over of what i would call „decent“ photography...

Many "Experts" are complaining that the market for art photography has completly broken down, that galleries are struggeling to survive. Well, for me that is no wonder if you look at the shortlist of the awards presented in Arles, if you look who has won e.g. the Photobook Award, the "Best of Portfolio Review" etc. If i would be a collector I wouldn't buy one single piece. Yes, it may be that in the art market "the name" is counting a lot. But at the end even collectors which are following this trend, should not get crunch only but at least some basic quality. Imho.

It is time to kick this wall in, it is time to give art photography the value back that it deserves. With quality. Not with rubbish...

This is what this blog is about. Commonalities and differences. Traveling through the world of art to chronicle

our impressions. Presenting our own work.

Enjoy and thank you for staying with us!

THE AUTHORS

Victoria Dematté

And what do we need?

Just light in the window. And what we dream about?

That the war is over.And where are we going?

Where the sun shines…

Chris Dematté

Since I got my first camera (a Kodak Instamatic) I am addicted to taking pictures. So it was quite obvious that I became a photographer. Beeing it now for about 30 years I am still with the great photographer Imogen Cunningham: "Which of my photographs is my favorite? The one I'm going to take tomorrow".

”Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”